NASA's Kepler Discovers Five New Exoplanets

Less than a year after launch, NASA's Kepler space telescope has located five new planets beyond Earth's solar system, which are also known as exoplanets. The new discoveries have estimated temperatures hotter than molten lava and orbit stars hotter and larger than Earth's sun.

Launched in March of last year, NASA's Kepler telescope has discovered its
first five new planets beyond Earth's solar system. Known as exoplanets, the
Kepler discoveries are also called "hot Jupiters" because of their
high masses and extreme temperatures.

The new exoplanets range in size from similar to Neptune
to larger than Jupiter and have orbits ranging from 3.3 to 4.9 days. Estimated temperatures of the planets
range from 2,200 to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. All five of the exoplanets orbit
stars hotter and larger than Earth's sun.

The discoveries were announced Jan. 4 by the members of the Kepler science team
during a news briefing at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington.

"These observations contribute to our understanding of how planetary
systems form and evolve from the gas and dust disks that give rise to both the
stars and their planets," said William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research
Center in Moffett Field, Calif. "The discoveries also show that our
science instrument is working well. Indications are that Kepler will meet all
its science goals."

Since its launch, the Kepler mission has continuously observed more than
150,000 stars. Kepler's science instrument, or photometer, already has measured
hundreds of possible planet signatures that are being analyzed.

According to NASA, while many of these signatures are likely to be something
other than a planet (such as small stars orbiting larger stars), ground-based
observatories have confirmed the existence of the five exoplanets. The
discoveries are based on approximately six weeks' worth of data collected since
science operations began on May 12.

"It's gratifying to see the first Kepler discoveries rolling off the
assembly line," said Jon Morse, director of the Astrophysics Division at
NASA headquarters in Washington.
"We expected Jupiter-size planets in short orbits to be the first planets
Kepler could detect. It's only a matter of time before more Kepler observations
lead to smaller planets with longer period orbits, coming closer and closer to
the discovery of the first Earth analog."

NASA officials said Kepler will continue science operations until at least
November 2012, searching for planets as small as Earth, including those that
orbit stars in a warm habitable zone where liquid water could exist on the
surface of the planet. Since transits of planets in the habitable zone of solarlike
stars occur about once a year and require three transits for verification, it
is expected to take at least three years to locate and verify an Earth-size
planet.

"Today's discoveries are a significant contribution to that goal,"
Borucki said. "The Kepler observations will tell us whether there are many
stars with planets that could harbor life, or whether we might be alone in our
galaxy."